woman writing meeting minutes for a conference call

Meeting minutes are more than just written records of the meeting. They also happen to be the official and legal records of the meeting, and therefore, a powerful tool to keep your business functioning like a well-oiled machine. This is why it’s imperative that you create quality meeting minutes for your conference calls. Virtual meetings can be harder to keep up with since most participants will be from remote places. This should not stop you from coming up with good meeting minutes. 


Create great conference call meeting minutes by avoiding these mistakes:

Not setting an agenda

Not having an agenda is a common mistake when it comes to both face-to-face and virtual meetings. In fact, according to Cornerstone Dynamics, only 37% of meetings in the US use agendas. However, this can ruin your meeting minutes and cost you greatly. Set up an agenda so your conference call has a direction and your meeting minutes is organized. 

Not doing a roll call

Since conference calls are virtual meetings, it will be challenging to keep track of the participants. Make sure you do a roll call before starting so it can be listed down properly on the meeting minutes. 

Missing the quorum data

The quorum is the minimum number of members of an organization at meetings necessary to make all of the actions and decisions valid. For the meeting minutes, don’t forget to take note of the required quorum number as well as the changes in attendance throughout the meeting that can affect that quorum. 

Forgetting to introduce yourself before speaking

It’s also important to introduce yourself before speaking in a conference call. This can help everyone easily recognize you and help the meeting minutes notetaker know just who to note when writing down suggestions and raised questions or concerns. 

Writing unclear descriptions of issues and resolutions

Be attentive when someone is raising an issue and when the team is coming up with resolutions to avoid unclear descriptions. The meeting minutes should provide a clear insight when it comes to crucial details like these, so be as transparent as possible. 

Jotting down inaccurate record of votes

It’s also a must to make sure that the record of votes is accurate since it’s connected to the decisions made by the team. Inaccurate record of votes in the meeting minutes can confuse the members and is the opposite of what meeting minutes are trying to achieve. 

Forgetting to note the next steps

All future plans and next steps should be noted in the meeting minutes. These will help guide the team as you move further and can help your team measure your progress and achievements as time goes by. 

Missing the due dates

Due dates of the assigned tasks and actions some of the most important details. You need to get it in the meeting minutes and get the numbers right, otherwise, this could result in delayed operations, disagreements among members, and more.  

Not recording the conference call

Recording the conference call can help the meeting minutes be more orderly and accurate. The meeting minutes notetaker can simply listen to the recording and refer to it in case of any confusion or missed details. For this, you better make a habit of recording the conference call. 

Not utilizing a meeting minutes summary service

There are providers that offer a unique and convenient way of creating meeting minutes from conference calls. ConferTel, for example, offers InSummary, a meeting minutes summary service. This is where you would be able to send your conference call recording and request for a bulleted summary or transcription of your conference call. With a service like this, you’ll be able to have great meeting minutes that will help you and your company.

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